Local News

Enhancements could include improvements to community centres, local amenities, town parks and common areas and purchase of equipmentFine Gael candidate Mary Newman Julian today announced an additional €316,036 in funding under the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) to help tackle disadvantage in Tipperary.The Community Enhancement Programme provides capital grants in order to address disadvantage as identified in the Local Economic and Community Plan. Today's allocation for Tipperary follows on from a separate allocation of €149,690 under the Community Enhancement Programme earlier this year. This brings to €465,727 the amount Fine Gael in Government has approved to tackle disadvantage in Tipperary under the Programme in this year alone. The CEP was originally launched in May 2018 and provides a flexible and targeted approach to funding those communities most in need, while reducing the level of administration involved. Mary Newman Julian said: “The applications currently being processed will bring a range of benefits to all areas of our local communities, such as childcare groups, playgrounds, recreational groups, sports grounds, landscaping, and the elderly. “Typical enhancements under the programme could include the renovation of community centres, community amenities, improvements to town parks and common areas and spaces, and the purchase of equipment which is used to benefit the community.“The additional funding has been allocated in a way that takes deprivation levels into account and I am confident that those communities who need it most, whether in towns or rural areas, will benefit.”Fine Gael Minister for Community and Rural Development Michael Ring said: “Based on the extremely positive response to the Community Enhancement Programme funding announced earlier in the year and the evidence that more worthwhile initiatives could benefit from support, I have decided to allocate a significant further tranche of funds under this Programme. “The funding will be used to fund applications that were made under the original call in May, but which were not funded or not fully funded.”